Audiology Services Across England Fail Hundreds of Children, Report Finds

Claire Levene
Solicitor

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Solicitor | Medical Negligence

Audiology Services Across England Fail Hundreds of Children

Hundreds of deaf children have been misdiagnosed and denied hearing aids or cochlear implants.

Dr Camilla Kingdon was commissioned by the Health Secretary in April 2025 to investigate the systemic failures of paediatric audiology services across England. Her report was published in November 2025.

Findings of the Independent Review

As reported in The Times, many of the 139 audiology services across England have been found to be performing far below the standards expected.

The review identified a variety of issues including:

Poor quality testing,
Misinterpretation of test results,
Long waiting lists, and
Giving children the all-clear when in fact they needed hearing aids or cochlear implants.

As a result of the diagnostic errors, parents have been informed their children were autistic or had learning difficulties when in fact they were not and the issue was hearing loss.

The impact of denying children hearing aids or cochlear implants is significant.

“Denied any sound to stimulate their brain, a child’s development can be severely affected, causing problems with speech, behaviour and learning.”

Dr Kingdon has said that the errors have had disastrous consequences for children who will now never achieve their full potential.

It is reported that 309 children have been harmed by misdiagnosis between 2018 and 2023. However, the true number of victims could be much higher given that the problems with the audiology services date back to as long ago as 2008.

The National Deaf Children’s Society recently published a report on 17 July 2026 making recommendations to the government urging the government to transform children’s hearing services in England. The report sets out vital recommendations to improve services and highlights why it’s so important to identify deaf children early and provide support to families as soon as possible. You can find more information here:

England audiology report uncovers sector challenges and opportunities | National Deaf Children's Society

Could You Have a Clinical Negligence Claim?

For many families, the Government’s efforts to improve audiology services come too late. If you or your child has been let down by audiology services and you want to explore a potential negligence claim for compensation, then our specialist clinical negligence team can advise you on your options.

Contact Phoenix Solicitors today to discuss making a claim on a no win, no fee basis.

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